Conveyor arrangement for changing the spacing between the objects of a row

Claim 2

A conveyor arrangement for changing the spacing between objects conveyed in a row extending transversely to the direction of conveyance, including a first endless conveyor (2; 38; 61) having a supporting surface composed of bars or rods (16; 39; 63) extending crosswise to the direction of conveyance and movable in their longitudinal direction, a second endless conveyor (1; 31; 62), said first and second conveyors having a common path length for transferring the objects of a row, successively one by one, from one said conveyor to the other said conveyor over at least part of said common path length, and means (19, etc.) for shifting said bars or rods longitudinally throughout that part of said common path length in which said transfer takes place.

Claim 3

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said second conveyor is an endless belt (1), and further including a folded edge (26) comprised by said belt extending across the direction of conveyance of said belt and cooperating with said first conveyor so that the row of objects is transferred from said second conveyor to said first conveyor along said folded edge when the conveyor arrangement is used to increase the spacing between objects of a row, and wherein the width of said first conveyor is greater than the width of said second conveyor.

Claim 4

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 2, wherein said folded edge makes 45* angle with the direction of conveyance of said belt.

Claim 5

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 1, including bearings (18; 69) for holding said bars or rods free to move longitudinally, a pair of endless driven chains (17; 70) mounting said bearings to advance said bars or rods at right angles to their longitudinal direction, and wherein said shifting means comprises spaced parallel guides (19; 71).

Claim 6

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said second conveyor is an endless belt (31), and further including transverse slots (32) in said belt through which said bars or rods (39) of said first conveyor can project over at least part of said common path.

Claim 7

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 5, including a driver (40) for moving each said bar or rod through the closed path of said first conveyor, a pair of endless driven chains (43) mounting said drivers to move the latter, means (461, 462) acting on said bars or rods for varying the height and inclination thereof with respect to said chains, and for causing them to project out of said belt slots, and means (47) for preventing said bars or rods from falling out of said slots along the underside of said first conveyor.

Claim 8

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein each said driver comprises two crossbars (41), Two means (42) for connecting together each pair of said crossbars and fixed to respective ones of said pair of chains, and a slot in each said last-named means perpendicular to the corresponding said chain for guiding the movement of the corresponding said bar or rod caused by said means for varying the height and inclination thereof.

Claim 9

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 5, including a guide head (49) incorporated by each said bar or rod at the middle thereof, and a guide (48), comprising said shifting means, for accepting said head free to move therein.

Claim 10

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said second conveyor (62) has a support surface of bars or rods that is less wide than the width of said first conveyor (61), means (82) for controlling the position, along said common path length, of said second-conveyor bars or rods between said first-conveyor bars or rods so that at first an ever greater, and then an ever smaller, part of the length of said second-conveyor bars or rods appears above said first-conveyor bars or rods along at least part of said common path length.

Claim 11

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 9, including bearings (69) for holding said bars or rods of said first conveyor free to move longitudinally, a pair, of endless driven chains (70) mounting said bearings to advance said first-conveyor bars or rods at right angles to their axes, and wherein said shifting means comprises spaced parallel guides (71) and includes a first path length (711), comprised by said common path length, that is parallel to the direction of conveyance and a second path length (712), comprised by said common path length, that is oblique thereto, and said means for controlling the position of said second-conveyor bars or rods moves the latter so that an ever greater and an ever smaller, length thereof projects above said first-conveyor bars or rods while the latter are respectively moving along said shifting means first path length and said shifting means second path length.

Claim 12

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said first and second conveyors include means (46; 82) for causing transfer of the objects of a row from the other said conveyor to the one said conveyor at a time before or after the said transfer from the one said conveyor to the other said conveyor, and over a length of said common path length throughout which said bars or rods are longitudinally stationary, whereby the spacing between the objects of a row is unchanged by the transfer from the other said conveyor to the one said conveyor.

Claim 13

The conveyor arrangement as defined in claim 11, wherein said means (82) for causing transfer causes the objects of a row to be transferred successively.